I have been making these biscuits (or cookies), for about three years now. I had all good intentions of posting the recipe on the blog a long time ago, I even took some photos of them back in January 2017, but for some reason the recipe never made it here. Until now!
The original recipe comes from Claire Ptak’s book ‘ The Violet Bakery Cookbook’, which I have written more about here. I have adapted the recipe to suit my tastes, and inability to eat ‘normal’ chocolate as all good chocolate chip cookie recipes contain. I love the combination of raspberry and white chocolate, and I have found that using freeze dried raspberries work really well (I buy mine from Fresh As in New Zealand). I have also adapted this recipe to make Sesame and Pistachio Biscuits, you can find the recipe here.
To add to the raspberry flavour, I also sometimes use a drop of Aftelier Perfumes Raspberry Chef’s Essence. I bought this online along with a couple of others in 2016, after hearing an interview with the owner of Aftelier on the podcast Radio Cherry Bombe. Unfortunately the product listing on Aftelier’s website now days for sale in the US only, which is a shame. If you don’t have anything like this, don’t worry just leave it out completely. I don’t use it every time I make these and the biscuits are delicious each time. And please don’t be tempted to use artificial raspberry extract or similar, you’re better off just using the freeze dried raspberries and leaving it at that.
Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter, softened or margarine (I use Proactiv Buttery)
200g brown sugar
100g white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 drop natural raspberry extract (optional)
3 egg yolks
325g plain flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
25g whole freeze dried raspberries, plus extra for decoration
180g white chocolate, chopped
Method:
Beat the butter or margarine and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until combined. Add the vanilla extract and raspberry extract if using, then add the egg yolks mixing until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking soda, then add to the butter mixture and mix on a low speed until almost combined. Then add the whole freeze dried raspberries and chopped white chocolate and mix until combined. The freeze dried raspberries will crush up as they are being mixed so there is no need to crush them up before.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 30-40 minutes (the dough can also be shaped into two logs, covered with plastic wrap or baking paper and frozen to bake at a later date at this point too).
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line 3-4 trays with baking paper. Once the dough has been in the fridge for 30-40 minutes, scoop out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and place on the prepared baking trays leaving room for the biscuits to spread as they cook. Sprinkle the tops of each biscuit a little crushed freeze dried raspberry (save some for the end as well, as the raspberries will loose their colour when baked).
Bake for about 18 minutes, rotating the trays halfway so the biscuits cook evenly. The biscuits will be golden once done.
Allow to cool on their trays. Whilst the biscuits are still warm, sprinkle over some more crushed freeze dried raspberries.
Store in an airtight container, will keep for about 1 week.
Makes about 40 biscuits.
Reference: ‘The Violet Bakery Cookbook’ by Claire Ptak (Ten Speed Press, 2015), pp.140-1.
